On Friday, Croatia signed the accession agreement to become the 28th member of the European Union. Its membership will take effect on 1 July 2013. Until then, it will have observer status. To join the EU, Croatia not only had to meet economic benchmarks, but also had to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human rights, including cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia following the conflict 16 years ago. Many EU leaders are touting this agreement as an indication that the EU still has value despite all the recent criticism due to the financial crisis.